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READ MOREPublished on March 7, 2017 in Leadership Spotlight, Legislative Issues
Guest Author: National Brain Tumor Public Policy & Advocacy Staff
Our yearly Legislative Agenda* reflects the larger strategy and goals of the Organization, complements our research-funding efforts, and is essential to accomplishing our mission of better treatments and ultimately cures for brain tumors.
Each year, we review and revise our Legislative Agenda, as necessary, based on the most pressing needs of the brain tumor community, as well as the current climate in Washington, D.C., as well as within the brain tumor treatment, research and development landscape.
Entering 2017, the backdrop we face includes a new Congress (which means all un-passed bills from the previous Congress need to be re-introduced, among other hurdles); a new Administration in the White House (which means we need to begin a new process of educating the Administration on brain tumor-related public policy issues); continued challenges with the federal budget (which is currently operating under a “Continuing Resolution” until April 28th); yet a renewed bipartisan commitment to support of biomedical research funding in many corners of the Capital, following a fruitful 2016.
Thus, after thorough internal discussion, analysis, and planning, as well as receiving valuable input from many across the brain tumor and cancer community, we are pleased have finalized our 2017 Legislative Agenda.
2017 National Brain Tumor Society Legislative Agenda
This year the agenda provides support for key policy areas and legislation that are aimed to advance drug development in adult and pediatric brain tumors, raise federal resources for brain tumor research, and ensure brain tumors patients have access essential healthcare needs.
Specifically, though the federal government is the largest funder of brain tumor research, and we’ve seen improvements to government research funding in recent years, we believe that the level of investment in brain tumor research should be increased as a portion of overall medical research spending.
In regards to funding appropriations for FY18, the National Brain Tumor Society will be working with coalition partners to advocate for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and for specific brain tumor research funding provided by the Department of Defense.
On the policy front, our focus will be to advocate for the swift enactment of the Childhood Cancer STAR Act. We will also advocate for brain tumor patients’ needs during the debate about the future of national healthcare policy.
Read more about our priorities for securing increased medical research funding and improved pediatric brain tumor research here
*Note:This is a living document and may change during the year based on the evolving climate in the Capitol, as well as new legislative opportunities that may arise. We will keep you updated throughout the legislative process. Additionally, our Legislative Agenda also does not reflect the breadth of work we do in public policy to improve and advance regulation or other executive branch policy matters.
Remember, to sign-up to be a brain tumor advocate and take action visit here. And to get further involved in National Brain Tumor Society’s public policy advocacy and legislative agenda, consider participating in Head to the Hill 2017.
TAGGED WITH: brain cancer, brain tumor, Cancer, NCI, NIH, childhood cancer, pediatric cancer, advocacy, brain tumor community, Treatment